This invention relates to an apparatus for transporting closing caps in vessel closing machines.
An apparatus of this type is already known. In such an apparatus, the engaging means are formed by the beveled teeth of a star-shaped wheel and the transporting device comprises a conveying belt extending radially relative to the rotational axis of the star-shaped wheel (DE-OS 21 47 770). The end portion of the conveying duct is followed by a slide path which extends on the circumference of the star-shaped wheel and comprises a lateral guide strip for the caps. In this known apparatus, caps may easily get crushed between the star-shaped wheel and the beginning of the guide strip when the conveying belt does not supply the caps fast enough. The operating reliability is therefore small; the achievable efficiency limited.
In another known apparatus of the above-mentioned type, the engaging means are formed by radially projecting cams of a round disc, and the transporting device includes a magnet which is arranged opposite to the end portion of the conveying duct and comprises a stop limiting the penetration depth of the caps into the curved path of the engaging means (DE-OS 27 34 599). The caps which are pulled away by the engaging means from the stop are first exclusively fixed by other magnets onto the disc before they are gripped by the stationary guide strip of a slide path formed along the circumference of the disc for the caps. Deformed corks are to be removed through the resultant gap between the end portion of the conveying duct and the initial area of the guide strip. In this case, too, it may happen that corks get crushed between the engaging means and the front edge of the guide strip, as these can be guided by the magnets in an inadequate way only.
In both of the known apparatuses, the closing heads which are provided with holding magnets for the caps are indirectly supplied with caps, i.e. the star-shaped wheel or the disc and the stationary slide paths and guide strips are interposed. This results in a complicated structure.
It is the object of the invention to eliminate the risk of caps getting crushed in a generic apparatus used for transporting closing caps, and to increase the operating reliability and efficiency thereby. Furthermore, it should be possible to feed closing heads directly with caps.